Delhi govt shouldn't take credit for policies to advocates: Former BCD chairman
Oct 31, 2020
New Delhi [India], October 31 : The Delhi government should not take credit for providing policies like insurance to advocates in the national capital, former Bar Council of Delhi chairman advocate KC Mittal said on Saturday.
Mittal's remark comes after Delhi Law Minister Kailash Gehlot tweeted regarding the sanction of money by the Delhi government for the Chief Minister Advocate Welfare Scheme.
Mittal said that credit cannot be given to Delhi Chief Minister or Law Minister since they made all efforts to deny benefits to lawyers. "It was due to an order by the Delhi High Court judge, Justice Prathiba M Singh, that it is being implemented," he said.
The former BCD chairman said said that Delhi Chief Minister has not fulfilled his promise to provide policies to all advocates without any financial constraints.
"In Financial Year 2019-2020 money lapsed. In 2020-2021 now he is dragging feet as no window is opened for advocates who could not register due to the abrupt closure of the portal on April 19 this year," Mittal said.
"There is a court order passed on July 17, 2020. This is to deprive a large number of advocates residing in Delhi, apart from NCR. It is time to come forward on this issue," he added.
The Delhi Cabinet recently approved over Rs 40 crores to provide medical insurance and term insurance to lawyers, residing in the national capital, under the Chief Minister Advocates Welfare Scheme, that was announced by the Delhi government in December 2019.
"Honble CM @ArvindKejriwal had last year announced CM Adv Welfare Scheme with an allocated budget of Rs 50 Cr. As a final step towards implementation of Scheme, Delhi Cabinet on 29.10.20 has approved expenditure of more than 40.60 Cr for purchase of Life Ins & MediClaim Policies," Gehlot had said in a tweet.
The Delhi High Court had earlier asked the Delhi government to consider opening a window for two weeks to enable the advocates, who are residents of Delhi, to enable them to register themselves for Delhi's Chief Minister Advocates Welfare Scheme for medical and term insurance policy to advocates and grant insurance policies to the lawyers verified by the BCD.
The court at that time was hearing various petitions seeking medical and term insurance policy to advocates as promised by the Delhi government.
